WR Toon healthy, says IR season was beneficial to him

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; METAIRIE, La. — Nick Toon is neither a rookie nor a veteran.
He’s neither experienced nor inexperienced.
And he’s also not assured of a roster spot with the New Orleans Saints, the team that drafted him in the fourth round ...

And he’s also not assured of a roster spot with the New Orleans Saints, the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Wisconsin.

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound receiver was having what appeared to be a standout training camp last August when a foot injury sent him to the injured reserve list.

Now in his second minicamp, he’s not looking at roster spots as much as he’s looking for positives.

“Obviously I’m still a young guy,” said Toon, all of 24 years old. “That’s what it boils down to. … Still have a lot to learn. Obviously last year was beneficial in terms of being able to be here, be around the guys and get acclimated to this level and get acclimated to the offense.”

Yet, his maturity stood out when asked about the Saints drafting another receiver in April’s draft. For some, especially other young receivers, that could have set off a rash of negative thoughts.

For Toon, it was merely the selection of another teammate.

“Kenny is a great player,” Toon said of Kenny Stills, whom the Saints took in the fifth round this year. “He had a great collegiate career. He’s a great addition to the room and we’re happy to have him.”

Toon wasn’t too bad in college, either. The son of former Pro Bowler Al Toon finished his four years at Wisconsin with 171 catches for 2,447 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was a second-team all-Big Ten selection by the coaches in 2011, his senior season.

But that was in the past and now he’s battling for the one receiver position that’s open this year for a team that has had little turnover there since 2006. New Orleans didn’t re-sign Devery Henderson, leaving the team with a battle for the spot he held down for nearly nine seasons.

If Toon can stay healthy, something he never managed to do in college or last year for the Saints, he can contribute. He has the skills. He's in the perfect spot with the Saints, Payton, and Brees having only Colston and Moore locked in ahead of him on the depth chart. It's going to be a fun and interesting training camp.